Arctic Circle Original Fry Sauce

Fast-food chain Arctic Circle lays claim to the invention of fry sauce as we know it (at least stateside). In the 1940s, Salt Lake City chef Don Carlos Edwards began mixing together ketchup and mayo and urging customers to try it; when he opened Don Carlos' Barbecue in 1950 and served his burgers and fries slathered in the stuff.

When the restaurant converted to an Arctic Circle in the 1950s, the chain kept the sauce, and an American classic was born.

Central Mississippi

In the heart of Mississippi, you'll find folks dipping their fried foods in a concoction called "comeback sauce" - a mixture of mayonnaise and chili sauce, rather than ketchup.

New Hampshire

Another cousin of fry sauce is the New Hampshire-born Russian dressing, made with mayo and ketchup along with pimentos, chives, horseradish and spices.

Argentina and Chile

Salsa golf - literally "golf sauce" - is enjoyed in Argentina and Chile. Its 1920 invention is credited to Argentinian physician, biochemist and Nobel Prize-winner Luis Federico Leloir, who, bored with mayonnaise, asked his waiter to bring him whole host of condiments with which to experiment.

Leloir found the combination of mayo and ketchup to best complement his prawns - and invented the first-known 'fry sauce' in the process. In Chile, red wine and olive oil are sometimes used in place of tomato to create renehonaise.

Belgium and the Netherlands

Cocktailsaus takes the mayo/ketchup base and adds paprika, enjoyed by those in Belgium. Riche ("rich") sauce is a variant made with finely chopped onion and spices.

Brazil

Colombia and Venezuela

The Colombian and Venezuelan "pink sauce," or salsa rosada, is common in both countries, even packaged commercially. It's a go-to there for burgers, fries and chips - some bags even come with a packet of salsa rosada taped to the side!

Germany

Rot Weiss (red white), a popular German condiment, is sold in toothpaste-style tubes; when squeezed, it dispenses ketchup and mayonnaise, unmixed, into a red-and-white ribbons - think classic Aquafresh, but with fry sauce instead of toothpaste.

Italy and Spain

Seafood dishes in Italy and Spain are often served with salsa rosa, a pink sauce of, you guessed it, ketchup and mayo.

And now, the good ol' U.S.A.'s contribution to the fry sauce conversation.

Enjoy the fancy sauce!

Do you have a family recipe for fry sauce, or a regional variation we missed? Let us know!